First of all I wanna point out that this zine is written in German. So this goes out to the German NWN crowd in the first place, but maybe there's some other guys who master the German language. "From Beyond..." is well worth the read as Ipp really wields a dedicated yet questioning pen.

Second issue of "From Beyond..." is unleashed and features interviews with Anael, Hatespawn, Drowned, Kaamos, Necros, Bliss of Flesh, Hooded Menace, The Bottle Doom Lazy Band and Centurion's Ghost. For all further details please contact Ipp himself at

Talked to Ipp and as there seems to be a general interest in the Kaamos interview in particular he agreed on posting his verbal exchange with Konstantin.

So enjoy and thank Ipp by buying a copy of "From Beyond...".

Shalom Konstantin. I would like to start with the history of Kaamos. From the first thought about Kaamos, the first rehearsal and the recordings for your debut. How the whole thing does starts?
– Hello Ipp. The first reason which also was to be the defining thing when considering to form Kaamos was to create DEATH metal. At that time in Sweden, around 97-99, the scene was plagued with “melodic” death metal that for some reason came to be “the” death scene. For many people, me included, it came to a point that what we cherised and held as DEATH metal had become a parody. Very insulting for sure so Kaamos, along with some other bands, became a reaction and antithesis. The only reason for forming Kaamos was to atleast for ourselves and our friends, show and prove that DEATH metal needs to be spelt with capital letters. At that time I had some material that I wanted to compile and make songs out of. I asked my friends if they wanted to aid me in this task and shortly after we started rehearsing. I had a structure for the three songs and we worked with them for about half a year. During that time we also decided on the moniker and outlined internal guidelines of what Kaamos was to become, represent and spread. This was later summarized in Darkness, Heresy, Death. We recorded the songs Desecration, Blood of Chaos and Cries of the Damned in a studio right across our rehearsal space. Come to think of it we actually recorded it live and put the vocals on after as well as some solos and corrected some mistakes. Those three songs were to become our first emanation.

Was it a hard obstacle to find the other members for Kaamos? I guess to play only the instrument doesn’t mean a lot in such a band, or?
– Yes, it is always hard to find members for a band that has such strong principles when it comes to this genre. Initially there wasn’t really any problem since we were a full line-up. But when people starting dropping out I always thought it was the end of the band. Not so much that it’s hard to find someone who can handle the bass for example. But what I wanted to have was someone with the same mentality as well as 150% dedication to band. And let me tell you that that is hard to find in such an incestious environment as the scene was at that time. But the gods watching over the band always delivered beyond mine and the others expectations.

In an earlier interview you said that the band was formed because the Death- and Black-Metal-scene had no further message during this period. Has this changed by now and more important, which one had Kaamos?
- Then I think you might have misread it. I said that it was watered down and didn’t really have much of a substance. This has indeed changed and I believe that Kaamos among many other bands, some who are still active today, turned this around and managed to inject power and revitalize the scene. Also see question one about message and the scene at the time.

For me, you were always a (Death) Metal Band. Emphasis lies on the word “Metal“ in this case. Of course, you have a lot of magical moments but they dwells from your metal-aura and not only from a lyrical concept. A traditional metal band I would say. I hope you understand what I mean. What was the band for you or to ask it on another way, what was Kaamos?
- Why don’t you say a traditional DEATH METAL band? I mean, for me, metal in general can be really powerful, but in the end, it is still “party” music. I don’t mean to belittle it since I appreciate it as much as DEATH and BLACK metal. But I like more DEATH and BLACK metal bands, than I like traditional metal bands. Much due to the quite party attitude towards life, music, etc... Kaamos was a vehicle and a mirror. A vehicle where we could pour our hate, anger, rage, madness, yearnings, ideas, demons, manias, loathings, etc. A mirror that reflected the evocation of our shadow and the spirit of fire.

As Karl joined the band, Kaamos became what is for me now: one of the strongest Death Metal bands. On your first demo and promo, the instrumental parts shows potential but the vocals of Johan Thörngren and the whole atmosphere could be better and the feeling wasn’t that strong. It was all there but at this time not ready to leave his crypt.
Karl is a very strong character on stage. A beast, that is possessed like no one else who I ever saw. Both Kaamos-tracks on the 2007er Party-San-DVD are breath-taking! It is like, the band breaths Death during live shows!
- Johan had a great voice if you ask me. But he really hated recording vocals in a studio environment. So that for sure affected the outcome to a certain extent. But I totally agree that Karl came to embody Kaamos as a front man. I consider myself extremely blessed that I’ve had the oppurtunity to get Karl, as well as all the other members, into Kaamos. His vocal skills are truly outstanding and he for sure aided to take Kaamos to another level. I haven’t seen the Party San DVD so I wouldn’t know how it turned out. But I am pleased to hear you like it.

The band surprises me every time when I listen to a release. You simply sound brutal. I mean “brutal“, not your production or the non-stop-blast-beat (which is missing) sounds aggressive; it is the music for his own that carries this brutality. It´s the feeling and not only the sound. Where does it come from?
- It comes from us as persons. I partly answered this question when talking about Kaamos as a vehicle and mirror. But it also has to do with that our focus when doing and recording musick was a quest to capture the spirit of the band. Not to play the riff perfectly or as technically as possible. I do recall several arguments we’ve had with studio engineers who wanted to do retakes or brush “mistakes”. Where we flew out of the chair exclaming that they leave it alone unless we have specifically asked for it to be removed. Our aim was to convey the spirit of DEATH metal and in particulair our interpretation of it. Not to make a neat little pop-album with the latest technical solutions in reducing defects of musical skills. And in case people haven’t understood it yet, DEATH metal is dark, dirty, satanic, brutal and extreme.

You´ve said in another interview that Kaamos is / was a live band. What was so great to play mostly in front of a bunch of drunken and aggressive “fans“?
- What I meant with that foremost is that Kaamos, when playing live, was to witness us in action and at our best. We always considered that it was way more easy to convey our spirit live than through recordings. Much due to that we were a unit and always felt more comfortable playing together rather than one at a time as you do in studio. It is easier getting into the right mood live and in the rehearsal place. And of course, playing in front of people who go mad of course triggers one.

My first contact with Kaamos was via the “Lucifer Rising”-album. This is why the album has a special meaning for me, even when I think it isn’t the album that captures the spirit of Kaamos best. In my opinion, you where most alive on “Curse of Aeons”. It feels rougher and in some way more serious. It is compressed Death Metal on five tracks. Is there an album for you that “is” Kaamos?
- I consider all of the releases taken together as the body/corpus of Kaamos. Depending on my mood at the time I listen to them i prefer different albums. So I do have favourites, but they tend to change from time to time.

As a witness you should know best which evolution went on in Kaamos. Do you give us some insights?
- Well, evolution is inevitable which we knew from the beginning. BUT, it doesn’t mean that you can’t choose in which direction you decide to evolve. Our constant struggle was to re-invent ourselves instead of repeating ourselves. The eternal struggle for a band is to keep ones style yet managing to do it from a new perspective. On a general note, since we are quite conservative, we paid huge attention to this. In the end discarding more then we accepted.

Does the band change somehow in his ideology since the beginning?
- NO. That’s why we also decided to kill ourselves instead of changing ourselves.

Daniel Ekeroth, Author of “Swedish Death Metal“ named your band in his book as one of the best active (in those days when he wrote his book you were still active) Death Metal Bands from Sweden. But in the same breath he criticizes you indirect for your seriousness which takes the place of humour. An element which was a permanent feature of Swedish Death Metal. What do you think about his quote?
- I think it’s quite true. Even if it isn’t the entire truth. Others have mentioned something along in these veins as well. That despite us being a DEATH Metal band we had the “seriousness” of a BLACK metal band. One needs to remember the times we were living in as well. Death metal had become a joke, and Black metal was the shit. Until it some years later evolved into total shit. Anyhow, the humour that he refers to is in connection to the really early DM era. Where it had just evolved from punk and thrash and still contained alot from the punk mentality. I on the other hand hate punk and specifically punks. Not all, but 99% of it and them. I wanted Darkness, Death and Satanism and this is no laughing matter to me. When I formed Kaamos and wanted to convey my view on what the genre is about. I of course don’t want to say something I consider to be serious, and then in the second sentence state what my favourite colour and dish are. Kaamos for me was life and death, nothing more, nothing less. That does however not mean that we don’t have humour, but we are not clowns.

Kaamos binds death and darkness within his music. A fact no one can refute. Where this interest for the mysterious side of “life” came from and how does this fits with your daily life?
- Well, without me wanting to say too much about this. But I have always been fascinated with these topics and subjects ever since I was a child. My earliest recollection regarding this is when I was in the first or second grade. I had saved my allowence so that I could purchase Motley Crue’s Too Fast for Love. I really liked the music, the image and all. But what fascinated me beyond belief was the pentagram they had made use of. This fascination took me on a quest and when I was around 20 (I am now 34) I started pursuing the Left Hand Path on a practical and spiritual level. Today I consider everything I do to steem from this.

“Only Death is real“,... a offend heard statement, but is only Death real?
- He who loseth his life, shall keep it unto life eternal!

Since the beginning, your music had a very evil darkness within (yes, there is also a peaceful and friendly darkness in my opinion). Where did you taken all this power from?
- From ourselves.

By now, a couple of months and even years went by. How do you see your “work“ for Kaamos now? Something you want to change, make better or even avoid? What kind of resume could you draw after 12 years in this band, for you as a person and for the music?
- I am very proud of our work and releases. I don’t regret anything and I don’t want to change anything. It was done, written and executed just as we wanted it. I know what you are asking for but I refuse to think in those terms. At that point our wills dictated our art, we always did it as we wanted, otherwise we didn’t do it.

It took a while for me to understand the meaning of the shrine of Khem because the sources are very raw. The call to the ancestors, I think it fits perfectly as a symbol to Kaamos. For you, what was first: the band or Khem? Do you start the band for Khem or use Khem for the band?
- Khem was and is the breeding ground from where Kaamos steemed. And it has now returned there.

Where do you find the drawing that can be found on every release of Kaamos? The drawing that symbolize Khem,...?
- It was drawn by Mr. Dauthus who also handled all our illustrations and lay-outs.

A question that demands a kind of self-criticism: What were the strengths of the band?
- The members.

And his weaknesses?
- The members.

I would like to get some more information’s from your releases, not the ordinary stuff like “recorded between...“, “studio“ and “band members“. Special moments, thoughts and memories, your own point of view about the album/EP/demo, these are things I am looking for.

“Kaamos”-EP:/“Promo 1999”-Tape:
- Well, the first outcome from us. Many people mistake this as two seperate releases. And I don’t know how many times I have explained it. But we recorded three songs, choose two for the EP and then made a promo cassette for sending to fanzines and the likes where we included the third song. I have already talked about this session in the first question however. One thing I just recalled was that the evening prior to us entering the studio the track recorder had broken down. He had just gotten A-DAT installed during the night and we could still go ahead.

“Curse of Aeons”-Demo:
- This was a turbulent period for sure and more or less gave birth to what we internally call the “Curse of Kaamos”. Johan had left the band and we got Karl to handle bass and vocals. Then the drummer informed us that he will leave the band after we’ve recorded the demo. Two weeks prior to entering the studio he breaks his leg and we don’t know if the material will ever be recorded or not. Chris Piss, who has just left Repugant is recommended by Karl and we give it a shot. Prior to this Thomas Daun from Insision had tried out on two rehearsals. Or if it was one, I don’t recall right now. Chris learns the songs with the speed of lightning and also adds his charachteristic drumming to them. And shortly after this we record the demo during a weekend. We also recorded a cover of Zombie Ritual by Death that does convey some humour. But hardly anyone has been given a chance to listen to it. It was a one take it or loose it recording with tambourine and bitch screams.

“Kaamos”:
- What I remember best is that since we were so pleased with the outcome of Curse of Aeons we decided to use this studio again for our first full-length. When we got there early in the morning the owner and enginer opens up and says that he is expecting a bloke that is going to do his practical training during our session. He is studying to become an engineer and perhaps we might know of him. He sings in a band called Candlemass and is called Messiah Marcolin. We just look at him with our humourless faces which express something in the line of, “yeah, why don’t you open the fucking door and put on some coffee, it’s fucking freezing”. While tampering with the lock we see the silhoutte of a bloke coming closer and closer until we realize that it actually is the man himself, Messiah Marcolin! Anyway, he’s great and telling us some funny stories from the early Candlemass gigs where they had used a material similair to styrofoam to make tomb stones. Then when they used them live, the first hit on the kick drum made them fly off the stage and into the crowd. The main engineer however was way more into surfing for porn and renovating parts of his house than taking his time working with us. The studio is located in his house. So we never used that studio again understandably. And oh yeah, in case any one was wondering, Marcolin’s favourite song on the debut album was not surprisingly, Doom of Man. This was during the period where Candlemass had re-united with him for the s/t album so he talked quite warmly about that.

“Live in Stockholm 21.03.2003”-Split:
- This was something of a haste decision to do the gig. Repugnant was to play with Mortem and we were to attend. We were off to Athens the day after for our first ever gig outside of Sweden. Mortem had played in Gothenburg but for some reason which escapes me now never made it to Stockholm. Repugnant called us up and asked if we’d be interested in playing instead which we agreed upon. I talked about this gig with a young DM-head some time ago who had gotten the impression that it must have been a really crowded evening and all. But was quite surprised to hear that there was around 80 people. Albeit a really good evening and very UG. I also recall that there was this hip-hop kid or so that came in when Repugnant were playing on stage. He seemed to be really into it until he noticed that Gurra (the bassist) had squerted some blood on his fancy gay-hop hood. A smaller tumultous situation occured and he was taken care of whilst Repugnant finished the song. I don’t recall if we were aware of that it had been recorded. But we heard that it had quite a good sound quality to it and Escorbito wanted to release it as a split tape with our agreement.

“Lucifer Rising”:
- For the second album we really went nuts trying to find a studio that could record analog. We phoned several in the nearby vicinity without success. Then when we searched in the entire country they all said that they have the possibility to do it. But didn’t know how well the track recorders worked and were all put in the repository. Until in the end we got a positive response from Berno Studios in Malmö. They had the possibility to do it as well as were up for it. The other studios more or less saw this as hassle. So it was off to Malmö for recording. There we met up with Berno. Nicklas knew him since before since Serpent Obscene had used the studio several times. But hadn’t recorded analog. Berno was pleased with a band who specifically asked to record in this fashion since no one had done it for years. I did recall Grotesque and Seance Fornever Lait to rest being recorded there really early and I always really loved those albums. The recording went rather smoothly and Berno was really fascinated with the recording manner. Every time the phone rang he talked away atleast 10-15 minutes praising the sound quality of recording with analog equipment. And man, there was easily ten calls a day. Anyhow, the track recorder broke down in the middle of session of course, i.e. the “Curse of Kaamos”. But was fixed during the night and we could continue the day after. Not much more to say, everything went quite smoothly between recording and Berno’s dog (Ceaser) trying to hump Karl’s leg. I can easily say that this was the most rewarding studio session I have experienced up to date. Berno is one hell of a guy with great pointers and ideas that only enhances ones stuff. IF you are ready to listen to, and also have made a connection with him. For example, he altered all of my solos. When I was to record the first solo he just turned off the tracker and asked me what I was doing. Surprised and the rest of the band giggling he asked me if I played in a DEATH metal band. I didn’t get what he was referring to and he told me that if the musick sounds the way it does so far, then girly melodic solos wouldn’t do. Shaken to the bone by his sheer arrogance I asked what he thought I should do. He told me, I gave it a try, and it became a memorable night. With the others laughing the night away, me taking shit about my solos, the solos moved way more towards Hanneman/King/Azagtoth. Which if you ask me is an improvement.

“Scales of Leviathan”-EP:
- Despite the fact that we knew it would be the last thing we were to record it went surprisingly smooth. We had been working on these songs towards a third full-length but decided to kill the band in the middle of the process. However, we didn’t want to leave the songs in obscurity so we decided to record the last things we had and release it as mcd/mlp since it would only be five songs. Somhow it felt really natural to do it and I think we all subconsciously thought that the band had come full circle. Especially since we recorded it in the same studio that we did our first recording in. We hadn’t really thought if it like that until we were in the studio. At least not me. This was done in like three days or so, so not much time for any hassle. Just in and out.

Let us stay by your latest and also last EP, the epitaph of Kaamos. In my opinion this release assimilates much more Thrash-Metal-elements than the other Kaamos-CDs. The foundation is still Death Metal but for me it looks like you start opening your sound for more.
- I see why you think so but that’s not the case in my opinion. I actually discussed this with Seb of Necrovation just the other day. He thought that we had tuned up the guitars from B for this recording which we haven’t either. When we were in Berno studios, Berno being such an ace musician that he is, pointed out some things to us and asked if we ever had considered it, or if we even were aware of it. Namely that all the songs started with B as in the chord. When we were done there and I started writing riffs for future songs I took this into consideration and started altering the starting chords. As I mentioned somewhere above, it is always hard to find new ways to evolve yet keep to your style. So I started altering the starting point with the riffs instead of using the classical B. But always returning to it in order to create a dynamic sound structure. This is of course fancy pancy music talk. But if you are a painter and used the same brush for eight years. And someone gives you a new one, smaller or bigger, of course you are going to experiment with it. Which is exactly what I started doing on the songs that ended up on Scales of Leviathan. Usually me and Nicklas also always recorded two guitars each, especially on the full lengths but not for the this one. We both have always been sceptical doing extra guitars because the more guitar tracks you put on the fuller the sound gets, but it also starts sounding synthetic. So we used to leave the levels the same. Just that we took of gain from it. Giving it a harder yet more broken sound. The power of double guitars, but avoiding the synthetic imitation. Both me and Nicklas are very picky when it comes to this. We want the guitars to sound like guitars, not like a fancy distortion pedal that is oh so wow for a few seconds, only to leave a sterile sond carpet that could have been done by a keyboard (read POD and Line 6). Everyone who plays DM should also burn their EMG mikes. Baby, if it ain’t rough I don’t want it. Also, when I have talked to more senior members of the DM scene in Sweden asking how they created that mammoth-sound on the guitars. They never say that they doubled guitars up to four times which is the case today. Instead they used three distortion pedals at the same time. Take that “modern death metal”! So we gave Scales of Leviathan a simpler touch foremost.

Was it just a coincidence or cold calculation that
“From the body of death
The spirit has been set free
A prophet shall replace me
As this aeon comes to end“
are the last words of that Kaamos breathed?
- We in Kaamos already knew that we were to put the band to rest a long time before we even went officiall with it. First however I want to say that we never took for granted that we would record ten albums or the likes. We always had the approach that this recording could very well be our last from the very first session. That together with the mentality of bands like Order from Chaos who from the start said that they would only do three albums was a huge inspiration for is. Anyhow, when we had decided that this band was reaching it’s end I wanted to summarize the spirit of Kaamos somehow. That piece came to me from the Gods that watched over Kaamos as a bolt of lightning when I contemplated how to summarize it. I never questioned it. Only took it for granted that it was the end. I hadn’t written in such fashion before so it definitetly was sign.

Who should continue with the legacy of Kaamos?
- Those bands that find inspiration in our interpretation of the genre. Those who find our approach and values to be consistent with their own. Wanting to add to the entire legacy of DEATH METAL DARKNESS.... Those who whish to spread Darkness, Heresy and DEATH!

I read in another interview that you could not imagine playing in another Death Metal. Has this opinion changed with the last breath of the beast? Okay you played – at least some live gigs - with Dead Congregation but is this an harbinger for an mental change?
- Yes and no. What I refered to was that I am not willing to create another DM band and starting up again. Since if I were the main member and founder of a new DM band. It would only sound like lika a bleak copy of Kaamos. If I write DM, it sounds like Kaamos simple as that. What I mean is that for me, my epitome in writing DM was through Kaamos. I cannot do it as well in a new constellation. For me to play in a DM band like Dead Congregation that I thoroughly like alot is not the same. I handled the bass, that’s it. And I did it as an aid since they didn’t have a basist at the time. I didn’t write music or lyrics for them. I played their songs, which I of course thoroughly like and enjoy. But there is a difference. I also think that I would only accept a request from them if I were to ever join a DM band. That’s how much I like, support and believe in them. I cannot answer for the future in say 10 years from now. But it is highly unlikely that I will start up a DM band.

Spirituality or a concrete message, what prevail for Kaamos?
- The concrete message was spiritual approach to DEATH metal. This comes from self sacrifice and dedication. Kaamos from the start was a tribute to the genre and had a very ideal approach. We just wanted to impress the bands and genre that had impressed us, simple as that. A pay back so to say.

It´s a very puffy word, spirituality. What means this for you?
- More than I can put into words.

The devil, Lucifer, the personification of the negation of nearly all attitudes has an high impact on you and by this also on the band. Why?
- The Devil is my light, he is my master and guide. He shows me the way and I follow it. The judeo-chrisitan and muslim gods are in my world the demiurgs. Enslavers due to their limited power. Blessed and impotent!

Can I impute you inconsistent concerning the band? The split in 2007, the re-birth in 2009, the hope for a new release and than in 2010 again the split. Inconsistent?
- Yes, somewhat inconsistent.

This kind of gone-back-gone greys my opinion about the band. So, was this for sure the final sign of Kaamos?
- Yes.

On the Berlin-Gig last year you presented a new song called “Black Goat from the Woods“. Will there be a further release of Kaamos that will contain unknown songs?
To be honest, I hope not. I hope you will not make the same mistake as Reverend Bizarre did. Releasing EPs and Splits from the grave. If a band is dead, it should be dead. No compromise. For me, you would lose your credibility.
- Correction, the song is called Black Goat of the Woods. Wence we reformed it wasn’t really a reformation. The resurrection would only last for that night in particulair. We had said no many times to doing this gig for Unanimated. But after some really good lobbying from Peter’s side plus that we all really like Unanimated we decided to say yes. Their debut album is a classic Black/Death metal album from Sweden and has meant a lot for me personally. Anyhow, after the gig we felt that the spirit had returned, which it also had. But we decided to keep silent and see where it would lead us. We said that we might give it a try to make one last album cause somewhere I think we all felt that we had one last album in us. And if you are in a band you know that album number three is really a curse or blessing for a band. I wanted to do our Reign in Blood if you get me. To take the test of the third album. The reformation was never meant to last more than an album and perhaps a couple of gigs. But when the scene got to know this, they started pulling from all sides. Making it harder for us to be secrative. I don’t know what will happen in the future. I am not saying that we might reform and start releasing stuff. But if we manage to gather all the recordings of gigs and what not that we don’t have. I would rather compile a compilation and have it released properly rather then seeing mediocre bootlegs of it. However, this is not something that is in planning nor do we have any plans regarding this.

Where (or when) can we feel and see best the essence of Kaamos? Live shows, booklet, artwork, releases? I know that it is a combination of all elements, but which was is the strongest?
- In all taken together. All of it taken together is the body of Kaamos.

In the eyes and ears of the listeners, for what should Kaamos stand? A feeling, a characteristic?
- Spirit and Fire!

I would like to thank you a lot for this interview, even it took more than a year since the first idea to finish it. Let the beast sleep his eternal sleep.
- And thanks to you for the interesting questions making me take a trip down memory lane.

And my final question: What should be written on the epitome of Kaamos?
- Darkness, Heresy, Death...

I have both issues in stock now. Really good zine and highly recommended for all german speaking people here!
The first issue contains interviews with Abhorrot, Dead Congregation, Immolation, Necros Christos, Graveyard btw.
Hopefully 2011 brings us a third issue..._________________www.amor-fati-productions.de/shop

Hope to find my copy in the post box today. Apart from the Graveyard Dirt and Shadow of the Torturer interviews I'm particularly curious about Ipp's first part of a series of articles, "Go to the Deuce".

Here's a picture of the printed result, just so interested parties get an idea. And now, go and hit Ipp with orders at frombeyondipp@gmx.de